Talks will resume later this week to find a solution to the dispute between the Professional Footballers Association and the game's governing bodies to avert a players' strike.

Talks will resume later this week to find a solution to the dispute between the Professional Footballers Association and the game's governing bodies to avert a players' strike.

A proposed meeting between Premier League chairman Dave Richards and PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor, which would not have been part of the official negotiations, is not going ahead today.

The next round of negotiations later this week will involve Taylor and his counterparts from the Premier League, Richard Scudamore, Football Association, Adam Crozier, and David Burns, from the Football League.

Both sides were expected to hold discussions today to agree on a date for when the official negotiations would resume.

A Premier League spokesman said: "The door has always remained open for further talks and we hope that negotiations will now resume at the earliest opportunity.

"The timescale for any further talks are a matter for the football authorities and the PFA to agree."

The Premier League hopes a negotiated settlement can be reached at this late stage which will avert a players' strike.

The PFA insists they will proceed with strike action if they do not receive 5%, or #27.5million, of the latest television contract from the FA and the two leagues.

The three bodies have reportedly offered #10million but a compromise may be reached in the next few days.